Sichuan is the Texas of China. It is from Sichuan that philosopher Lao Tzu, according to legend, mounted a water buffalo and rode off into the sunset, never to be seen again. Its music combines colours from rustic country folk, street songs, and the cacophony of gongs and cymbals. It is more like blues or early rock and roll than classical music. Even the opera is hard-core, featuring long stretches of voice and percussion that could be straight out of an avant-garde composition by Luciano Berio.

Composer Erik Griswold and the Australian Art Orchestra team up with all-star musicians and performers of Sichuan, China to create a colourful collage of voice, winds, piano and percussion. The ten-piece big band fuses Sichuan melodies and rhythms with modern jazz improvisation, face changing mask dance and projections created by brilliant video artist Scott Morrison, which evoke and abstract busy urban streetscapes. A wild intercultural celebration not to be missed.

Australian Art Orchestra

The Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) is a portable orchestra for the new millennium. With an emphasis on improvisation, it explores the meeting points between disciplines and cultures, and imagines new musical forms to reflect the energy and diversity of contemporary Australia. Now in its 21st year and led by prolific composer, trumpeter and sound artist, Peter Knight, the Australian Art Orchestra features some of Australia’s most celebrated jazz musicians. It tours both locally and internationally with recent cities including Hong Kong, Toronto, Paris, London, Brisbane and Chennai. It has won numerous awards for its work including three Australian Jazz Bell awards (most recently in 2014), the 2014 AMC/APRA Art Music Award ‘Excellence by an Organisation’, the 2013 AMC/APRA Art Music Award ‘Performance of the Year’ and many others.